


Close Call

by stargatefan_archivist



Category: Stargate SG-1
Genre: Action/Adventure, Angst, Drama, Gen, Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-31
Updated: 2013-12-31
Packaged: 2018-10-06 12:04:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,501
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10334252
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stargatefan_archivist/pseuds/stargatefan_archivist
Summary: Summary: SG-1 travel to a new world where they must rescue a team memberbefore it is too late





	

**Author's Note:**

> Note from Yuma, the archivist: this work was originally archived at [Stargatefan.com](http://fanlore.org/wiki/Stargatefan.com). To preserve the archive, we began manually importing its works to the AO3 as an Open Doors-approved project in 2017. I e-mailed all creators about the move and posted announcements, but may not have reached everyone. If you are (or know) this creator, please contact me using the e-mail address on [StargateFan Archive Collection profile](http://archiveofourown.org/collections/StargateFan_Archive_Collection).

Stargate SG-1 | Gen Fanfiction | Close Call

##  Close Call 

##### Written by Anonymous   
Comments? Forward them to us at Evilfanfic@aol.com Re:Close Call 

They were all seated around the regular table where the debriefing took place but this was not an ordinary debriefing. SG-1 had returned from P3R263 three days ago and they were granted a few days to relax before their next assignment. "I guess this is the end of my vacation", O'Neill concluded after seeing the look on General Hammond's face as he entered the room. As the General took a seat, he immediately began to explain the reason for the urgent call. 

"To be as brief as possible, Colonel Smith of SG-4 sent back a very disturbing voice message. It seems that the rest of his team was captured by the inhabitants of that world. They may be in grave danger. Colonel Smith has no idea where they were taken so I decided to send him reinforcements. I know your vacation is not yet over but you are the only SG team who is available at this time. This is strictly a military mission..." 

Hammond turned to Daniel who was taking a sip from his mug, "which means Dr. Jackson, that you do not have to join the rest of your team on this mission." 

"No, I want to go sir." Jackson answered almost immediately. 

"Very well...you embark in 15 minutes." And with that, the General got out of his seat and headed off to his office. Sg-1 soon followed behind him heading to their locker rooms. 

* * *

In exactly fifteen minutes, the four SG-1 members were packed up and ready to go. O'Neill checked that all his team were ready with their side arms and enough ammo incase the situation would get ugly. Waiting at the bottom of the ramp, the team listened to the technician call out the locked chevrons one by one. Jack looked around and couldn't help but stop and stare at Daniel, the youngest on the team. The young man was clumsily putting on his helmet and wasn't quite able to fasten the buckle with his thick gloves. However, it didn't seem to stop the young scientist from trying over and over. In the end Carter had to help him with it. 

"Chevron three engaged!" the technician called out through the microphone. 

Jack couldn't believe how much Daniel had changed over the year and half that he had known him. Back then, Daniel would have never volunteered to go on a strictly combat mission. But, the passive and naïve doctor was forced to change once his wife was taken by the Goa'ould. He had made a promise to himself that he would fight to find his wife and bring her back and he knew very well that this could not be achieved unless he learned how to fire a gun. Jack used to always remind him to check his gun or to check if his side arm was there but now, Daniel never forgot. 

"Chevron 6 engaged." The team looked up and waited for the all too familiar burst of energy to jump out of the massive ring through which they would go in just a few seconds. 

"Chevron seven locked!" The burst of blue energy flashed momentarily and then whipped back in to place. 

"Well, here we go kids." Jack blurted out just before his form disappeared through the liquid surface followed by Carter, Daniel, and then Teal'c. 

* * *

It took only seconds for the thin layer of frost to start melting off their skin. They were flung out of the ring which caused Daniel to lose control of himself and to land roughly on Carter's leg. 

"Aaahhh!!! Daniel! Get up!" Carter yelped but even her yelp was filled with bitterness. It was quite obvious that this was not her idea of how to spend her last day of her so called vacation. 

"Sorry Sam!" Daniel managed to say as he pulled himself up and wiped the dirt off his glasses which had fallen to the floor from the fall. Daniel looked around him only to see huge, massive trees and beautiful scenery. The trees were at least five times taller than the trees back on Earth and their trunks were as wide as a tiny house. Even though everything seemed quiet and serene, Jack had already pulled his gun out and started to walk around whipping his head back and forth in case of any threat. 

"Where the hell is Colonel Smith?" Jack stated with anger. 

* * *

"Sir, this doesn't seem right. He should have been waiting here for us." Carter pointed out as she began to follow Jack's lead, encircling the surroundings with her gun aiming at nothing in particular. 

"Well no shit Sherlock!" Jack mumbled back under his breath as his anger and irritable mood grew worse. 

"Perhaps Colonel Smith has also been taken by the enemy who inhabit this world O'Neill." Teal'c added as he too began to look around in case of any attack. 

"What now sir?" Carter asked after their surroundings were secure. But before anyone was able to answer, a loud thud interrupted their discussion. It was only when the thrown object came to rest did the full-blown horror finally seep into their veins. The four SG-1 members were frozen in shock. Daniel finally broke the silence when he ran off to the side next to a large bush and began to vomit. 

"Holy shit! " Jack managed to whisper as the bloody head of Colonel Smith lay on the earth right in font of him. Smoke was rising from the neck region. Jack had to take a step back as the pool of blood slowly spread and began to engulf his military boot. 

"Colonel O'Neill, I hear footsteps." Teal'c calmly stated as he tried to determine where the noise was coming from. O'Neill knew just how useful Teal'c was when it came to hearing the enemy approaching since he had better hearing than anyone on SG-1. Infact, this special sense saved the team from numerous unplanned attacks by enemy military. 

"Daniel, get over here!" Jack barked as Daniel was slowly walking back to his team while using the back of his hand to wipe his mouth. "It seems these freaks are not very hospitable so here's what we are going to do! We have to find the rest of SG-4 even though I have a pretty darn good feeling that they're laying headless in a ditch somewhere right about now. But, we got orders so we are going to follow through with them. Carter, you and..." Jack's whispering was cut off by loud voices approaching speaking in an odd language. "Take cover!" Jack was just about to run to the closest tree when Teal'c's large hand stuck out blocking his way. 

"O'Neill, there are too many. If we stay, we too will be captured. We must flee immediately." Jack peered into Teal'c's small stern eyes. Jack trusted his judgment and just nodded his head. 

"Go...now...!" Soon all four of them began to sprint through the crowded forest jumping over the abnormally large roots of the enormous trees, which towered over their heads. They didn't have to look back to realize laser beams were being fired at them. 

Daniel could already feel the painful stitch at the side of his ribs. _No...this can't be happening right now! I have to keep going.,_ he thought. He managed to peek over his shoulder but every time he did, he was discouraged by the distance the enemy gained. When he turned his head forward again, he saw how much he was trailing behind his team. Teal'c was in the lead followed by Jack and not much farther behind him was Carter. Daniel on the other hand was a good twenty feet behind Sam. Daniel was never good at athletics or even running when he was a kid. He always dreaded going to his phys. ed classes since he was always forced to stay behind the rest of the students until he completed his 50 laps. But it was only recently that he began to work out at the gym. Ever since he joined SG-1, he had to train himself to keep up and learn to improve his physical endurance. But it was quite obvious that he still needed many more hours of intense training. He kept trying to push himself but his tired muscles were too weak. They were sprinting for about twenty five minutes straight and Daniel knew that he would not last much longer. He even began to hear the loud thumping of his own heart as sweat began to drip down his forehead. 

He heard Jack's faint voice call from far ahead, "Daniel...come on..you have to keep up!" 

"Sorry Jack...I can't." were the only words Daniel was able to mutter just before he collapsed. 

As Jack saw Daniel's body fall, he had to stop running. _Dammit Daniel!_ he thought to himself as he began to run back but Carter held him while yelling over the loud noise of the enemy guns, "Sir, you can't go back, you'll be killed!" 

Jack looked at Carter knowing that he had to make a decision. He had to continue running away and leave Daniel behind. Jack's decision was not due to the fact that he was scared of being killed, it was because he knew that he had to keep his mind on the present mission and he couldn't let his personal feelings cloud his judgment. However, he couldn't help but feel a dagger going right through his heart. He had no choice. 

* * *

Daniel was too scared to move. He just lay there and watched as the rest of his team continued to run away. It was the first time he realized that this would probably be the last time that he would ever see them again. But before he could even pass another thought, he felt a huge hand clasp his jacket and roughly pull him off the ground. The muscular man lifted him as if Daniel was weightless. When the man put Daniel down, Daniel had to stretch his neck up completely in order to get a better look at 9-foot man who towered over him. Infact, there were exactly eight other men who shared almost identical heights and encircled him as if he was their prey. Each of the men had eyes filled with anger and rage as they stared him down from head to toe. Suddenly, one of the men from behind Daniel grasped both of his shoulders while another one approached him. Daniel's heart began to beat faster and faster as he squeezed his eyes shut. All he could see were visions of Colonel Smith's head roll across the earth. But, when he opened his eyes again, he realized what the man was going for...his weapons. The giant's hand grabbed Daniel's gun and began to examine it. The firearm looked like a child's toy in the large hands of the strange man. The giant looked at it as confusion began to sketch across his face. Daniel looked at their weapons that were very unfamiliar to him. He had never seen anything quite like it on the other worlds. It was at least half his size and it resembled the shape of a boomerang. But when raised horizontally and fired, a bright white laser was released from both the ends. If the laser was strong enough to make holes straight through the thick trunks of the trees, then Daniel didn't even want to imagine what it could do when coming into contact with a human body. Daniel's mind began to drift away but immediately snapped back when he saw the huge fingers of the man examining the trigger of the gun. "NO!!! Don't touch tha-" it was too late...the gun fired hitting one of the men in the abdomen region. 

The man hunched over and began to yell and scream in his tongue . "Ha'lloware!! Kjolentry dey abdugwa!!!!" 

Daniel couldn't make out the language. He never heard anything like it before but fore he could even attempt to communicate and try to explain that he meant no harm, the men turned to him with almost wild looks on their faces. _Oh shit....they're mad!_ Daniel thought to himself as the injured giant approached him . Daniel's mind was racing. _I still have my side arm...maybe I can defend myself. Ya right! Eight pissed off giants against one...I don't think so!._

The man extended his arm in a fist and swung at Daniel hitting him right in the throat. Daniel immediately collapsed holding his throat while attempting to breathe but not succeeding. The pain was unbearable and the coughing fits were even worse. It took a good ten minutes before Daniel was able to stop from coughing violently but his breaths were heavy and raspy. He could tell that definite damage was done but how severe, he didn't know. The eight men began to speak in their strange language again but this time, they seemed to be arguing. They were pointing at Daniel and then back towards their injured comrade. Daniel guessed that they finally came to a conclusion when they all stopped talking and turned in his direction. The leader lifted his weapon up and then ordered, "Shajwena topyama!" 

* * *

It was only a few seconds after Jack's decision to leave Daniel behind that he realized they were no longer being chased or followed. _They probably found Daniel already and decided that he was enough. Shit...they're going to kill him! Daniel should have never come on this mission---_

"Sir, they are out of sight." Carter pointed out between heaving breaths. She plumped down on the floor and took out her canteen. After almost choking on it, she realized that the colonel wasn't even listening to a word that she was saying. _He's worried about Daniel_ she thought to herself. It was at this instant that the full truth finally began to seep in. Daniel was captured by those huge whatever they were beings and there was no way of knowing if they would find his head lying around somewhere just like they found --- Just the thought of it gave her shivers all over. But what were they supposed to do? They couldn't just go back and get him...that would be suicide. But by the look on Jack's face, she knew that he would have done it without a doubt. 

"We're gonna call in for reinforcements. I want the **whole** team to come back in one piece. As soon as it's clear, we are going to head back to the stargate and send in a voice message to the General." O'Neill's voice was numb and cold. It was obvious that he was in no joking mood. Carter knew better than to comment. She just accepted his judgment and went back to her canteen. 

* * *

Daniel was nearly being dragged by his kidnappers. He could barely walk anymore and he couldn't remember another time in his life when he craved water this bad. Ever since he got punched, he couldn't breathe properly and even the slightest presence of dust tickled his throat causing more coughing fits. After walking for about three hours, Daniel lifted his head to see a large village in the distance. But what really caught his eye was the huge fortress behind the village. A tall wall surrounded the magnificent building. Daniel guessed that it was towards that village they were headed and what discouraged him the most was that he knew they were still extremely far away. 

* * *

The three SG-1 members walked back towards the stargate with great caution incase of another attack. In front of the stargate, it only took about five minutes to send back a radio transmission to the General and Jack knew that it would take a few hours or more for the reinforcements to get there. All Jack could think about was Daniel...the one who deserved his misfortunes the least out of all of them. _You have to hang on a little while more Daniel...that is of course if you are still ali-NO! I can't think about that right now! Daniel will make it...or else... I can't go through the same loss as I did when I lost Charlie..._

"Sir, you should really eat something." Carter's words of concern saved him from another session of mental guilt and anguish. Jack turned to look at his other two members. They were also his responsibility. Teal'c was sharpening his knife while sitting on a rock and Sam was eating one of her low-fat granola bars. Jack sighed and took out his own canteen. _Some vacation!!!_

* * *

Daniel's mouth was open with dismay as they treaded through the village. There was garbage and dirt everywhere. There must have been hundreds of sick people lying helplessly on the ground. Most of the houses were destroyed and he doubted that any of them had gotten a crumb of food in their mouths for days. The last thing that Daniel noticed was that the villagers were of average height. They were not giants. An old woman from the street approached them and fell down to her knees crying and pleading at the same time in their strange language. But the tall man just slapped her across the face causing the old woman to tumble over. Daniel couldn't bear it any longer and decided that the best thing to do would be to close his eyes. But even then, he could still hear the screams and the cries of the hungry babies and children. Soon they neared the large wall that encircled the fortress. Two other almost identical giant guards stood there ground next to the gate. A few words were passed and the two guards stepped aside. As the gates opened, Daniel couldn't help but freeze in place as the horrible sight before him came into view. 

* * *

It was getting a little dark and Jack decided that the best thing to do would be to pitch up their tents and take turns going to sleep. He offered to take the first shift in guarding the surroundings since he knew that he wouldn't be able to sleep anyhow. It only took about ten minutes before Teal'c and Sam fell asleep and soon, he was alone in his thoughts 

* * *

The darkness made it hard for Daniel to see clearly but when his eyes were finally able to adjust, nothing could have prepared him for what he saw. Thousands of long wooden poles protruded from the ground. The worst realization was that the screams he heard were not those of children or babies but they were the cries of thousands of people who were slowly and painfully dying. These long poles ran right through their bodies as the only support holding them off the ground. Slowly but surely, as gravity was doing its job, these bodies were slowly sliding down the sturdy sticks as they made their way down to the ground. It was easy for one to tell which bodies were there for more than a day and which were not. The bodies, which lay lifeless on the floor, were the veterans; the ones who had suffered the longest, but the bodies that were still close to the top of the poles and who were whimpering were those who still had a long time to go. _These people are suffering to death! Its like they are being crucified!_ Daniel didn't realize that he had stopped breathing until the leader of the group shoved him to go on towards the massive brass door of the fortress. When Daniel stood in front of the gate, he didn't what to do next. _What...do I knock?_ But not before long, his question was answered when two more similar guards pushed open the gates from within the castle allowing the nine men in. Inside, they continued to walk down a long elegant hallway. Daniel's feet were killing him from the stony paths through the forest so it was a relief for him to finally walk on smooth solid ground. However, this relief would not last long. Down at the end of the corridor was a wide room where at least one hundred more of these giant people were waiting for them to arrive. The room was decorated with gold and silver. There was a large platform at the back of the room where a man sat in a huge thrown staring down at Daniel. 

"Ashatra dui pontra!", the tall man on the thrown shouted as he extended his arm and pointed to a small chair in the middle of the room. _This is a trial!_ Daniel thought to himself. The leader of the group grabbed Daniel by the collar and violently threw him onto the chair nearly causing the chair to collapse in the process. 

"Please, I come in peace..." but the only response that he got was a strong slap across the face. Daniel tried to hold in the pain but couldn't help it and gave out a small whimper. The king or whoever it was began to argue and yell. One of the giants who captured Daniel began to speak motioning towards his wounded friend then raised Daniel's gun. When the gun was raised up, the room grew quite and not even a whisper could be heard. The king then rose from his seat, pointed at Daniel and simply stated, 

"Garunusa!" And with that one word, the excitement rose back in the room. The verdict was made. Two guards neared Daniel and grabbed both his arms almost dragging him like a rag doll. _Where the hell are they taking me?_ was all Daniel was able to ask himself as the two men were heading back towards the door through which they entered. Within moments, they were back outside. All the people who were watching his trial began to exit the courtroom and follow Daniel and the guards. It was only when they were nearing the yard of dying men and woman did Daniel realize exactly what his punishment was! 

* * *

Jack was awakened by Teal'c and four other shadowy figures. "O'Neil, SG-11 has arrived." Jack looked at his watch to see that it was already four in the morning. He looked over at Sam who was also just waking up. He let out a little grunt as he tried to get up in a sitting position. "Damn rocks!!" 

"General Hammond said you were in need of back up." Colonel Bradford said as he watched O'Neil slowly get up. 

"Yes. Dr. Jackson was taken by these huge ugly pieces of shit and we need to find out where they took him and the rest of SG-4! SG-1 and SG-11 are going to split up as soon as we clear these tents. We'll keep radio contact in case any of you find these sons of bitches. You got that!" 

"Yes sir." 

"Well then lets start moving!" 

* * *

Daniel tried to break away form their strong hold. Infact, he was using every ounce of energy he had left as he kicked and elbowed. But all his efforts were useless as they kept approaching the long wooden pole. Panic was seeping through him like a deadly plague. He had no where to go. They stopped in front of the bare pole and it was only at this close range where Daniel was able to see just how pointy the top of it really was. _As sharp as a metal knife_ he thought. A crowd of people surrounded them, awaiting the murder of the trespasser. Daniel looked to the right where he saw another man slowly dying on his pole. The tip of the wooden pole already dripped blood and continued to film down the pole to where the dying man was. The man's hands were clenched tightly around the pole trying to keep himself from sliding down another few centimeters. Daniel had to look away. His heart was pounding way to fast and before he knew it, his knees buckled as he fell to the floor. 

* * *

In only a couple of minutes, both teams were ready to begin their search. O'Neill wished SG-11 good luck as he and the two others on his team headed in the opposite direction. 

* * *

One of the tall men scooped down and lifted the fainted man with great ease. It was time. The unconscious man awoke at the new touch. Daniel's eyes shot open as he felt the feeling of being carried. The tall man carrying him was lifting him up towards the pointy top of the pole. _Oh my G-d!! NO!!!!!_ Daniel didn't even realize that he was screaming his thoughts out loud. But it was only seconds until an unbearable pain conquered his body. The wooden stick stabbed him through the abdomen. Daniel's face was filled with pain and terror as he saw the bloody point of the stick protrude out of his stomach. He could actually see a piece of his own flesh hanging from the tip. His body was slipping down little by little which caused his pain to triple. Even the slightest movement was intolerable. He grabbed onto the pole to stop himself from sliding. He looked down at the crowd of people who watched his every move. They were all smiling at the horror and suffering that was taking place in front of them. A loud animal-like cry echoed in Daniel's ears. It didn't take long for him to realize that the cry was from his own lips. 

* * *

Jack, Sam and Teal'c were walking for more than an hour already with no clues or signs of footprints. The forest was large and Jack feared that they would never find Dan- Jack's thoughts were interrupted when he stubbed his toe on something solid. He looked down to see large humps of dirt on the ground. Jack bent down on his knees and began to dig through the earth and dirt. "Sir, what are you doing?" Carter asked as she knelt down next to him. Jack didn't answer , all his concentration was dedicated to what he was doing. A feeling of horror and panic hit him as he identified the fabric that was being revealed from within the dirt as an SGC uniform. _Oh no! It can't be Daniel!_ It didn't take long till Jack got the answer he was looking for. After clearing some more of the dirt, he immediately recognized that this body belonged to a member of SG-4. There were exactly four more humps close by which he concluded were also the rest of SG-4. _Well, I guess half of our mission is solved_ Jack thought to himself. He took out his walkie -talkie and pressed down on the side button. "Colonel Bradford, we have found SG-4, I repeat we have found SG-4. Continue to search for Dr. Daniel Jackson! Colonel O'Neill out!" 

* * *

The last of the crowd of people had already left a few minutes ago. Daniel tried as hard as he could not to move but either way, the pain was too much. It felt like he was up there for hours already. Everywhere he looked, he could see his own blood; on his hands, on the wooden pole and all over his uniform. His throat hurt him from screaming but he couldn't stop himself. Screaming was the only thing that he could do for the pain. He had never felt pain like this before. Usually, in the past, when he got hit by a Goa'ould device, he would just lose consciousness and he wouldn't feel anything, but now, Daniel was still up and aware and it didn't even seem like he was going to lose consciousness anytime soon. Daniel remembered learning about this type of crucifixion. It was done back in the 13th century. Kings used to kill their criminals or betrayers by making them suffer to death. _Oh G-d, let me die now! The pain...its..its..too much!!!_ Daniel didn't even dare to try and reach his sidearm. Everytime Daniel's body slipped down a little more, he felt the wooden pole within him move around in his stomach, which almost made him vomit. 

As every minute passed by, he felt his energy slowly disintegrate. He found it was harder and harder to think and soon, even his piercing yells hushed down to little whimpers. His own grip on the wooden pole was loosening as his energy was betraying him which caused him to slip down the pole even more. When he looked down to the floor, he could see a pool of his own blood continuing to grow as more and more drops of blood leaked from his punctured stomach. Hot tears began to stream down his cheek, as he wished more and more for the pain and suffering to cease. 

SG-11 were traveling for a couple of hours through the forest until they could finally see a village not far in the distance. Colonel Bedford ordered his team to sit and take drinks while he radioed Colonel O'Neill. 

"Colonel, we have found a small village. Do you read me?" 

"This is Colonel O'Neill. Yes, I read you. Where are your coordinates?" 

Colonel Bedford gave O'Neill the coordinates and was told that SG-1 would meet them in the village at 18:00 hours. After a small break, SG-11 got back on their feet and headed towards the village. 

* * *

Another two hours passed by and Daniel concluded that nighttime was on its way. He was finding it harder and harder to think and even his vision began to blur. When there was complete silence around him, he looked over at the man on the pole that was next to his. He was now laying lifeless on the ground. Silence. The retched screaming had finally stopped and only soft moans could be heard. _Jack...where are you?_ Daniel couldn't stop the tears that were steadily flowing down now. _How long have I been up here already?_ Another sharp wave of pain took over as he slipped down another few centimeters. His arms were getting extremely tired from gripping onto the pole. He didn't know how much longer he had until he would have to completely let go of the pole and let himself fall to the ground; a plunge to his death. 

* * *

Finally, SG-11 made it to the quiet dirty village. They walked through the village with awe. People with diseases were eating garbage off the streets, woman were running around trying to find rats or other night creatures to feed their sick children. As they walked through the village, the villagers stared. Luckily, nobody attacked them. As they neared the large wall that surrounded the fortress, Colonel Bradford looked at his watch. There were a good twenty minutes to spare before they had to meet SG-1. 

"Sir, you have to look at this!" One of his team members called him over. The man was looking through a hole in the wall with binoculars while motioning for the colonel to come. 

The colonel took the binoculars and looked through the little hole in between two old bricks. "Holy shit!" was all he was able to mutter. "Whoever this king is, he's for sure a crazy mother fucker! He's crucifying these people on those poles. I can't be..." Bradford stopped in mid- sentence. He quickly ordered one of his teammates to take out his walkie-talkie from his bag all the while, his eyes were still looking through the binoculars. "You tell Colonel O'Neill that we have found Dr. Jackson!" 

SG-1 were walking towards the coordinates that were given to them by SG-11. 

"COLONEL O'NEILL...COME IN." Jack took out his walkie-talkie and responded to SG-11. "WE HAVE FOUND DR. JACKSON, I REPEAT, WE HAVE FOUND DR. JACKSON." 

Jack couldn't believe the words that he was hearing. Sam was already smiling with relief and even Teal'c managed to put a faint smile on his face. 

"Thank G-d" Jack whispered. "COME IN COLONEL O'NEILL!" 

"YAH, YAH, I'M STILL HERE. WE ARE ON OUR WAY!" 

SG-1 wasted no time and immediately continued on, but this time, with higher hopes. 

* * *

Colonel Bradford decided to walk along the wall while they waited for SG-1 to arrive. He was shocked to find out that there were no guards anywhere to be found. When he came back to the rest of the team, he decided that this would be the perfect chance to go through the gate. He didn't want to wait till SG-1 got there just incase the situation would change. He gave the orders to the rest of his team and very cautiously, they successfully entered through the gate and into the horrible yard where hundreds of people were slowly dying. As soon as they spotted Daniel, they made no delay in heading towards his direction. 

* * *

Daniel never felt so helpless in his life. He couldn't take the pain any longer. _I'm going to let go! This way, I'll die much more quickly even if it will be more painful._ But just before he let go of his grip, he heard voices whispering to each other in English. One was giving orders to the other. _Jack? I'm probably just hearing things._ But when Daniel turned his head down to the ground, he saw five blurry men dressed in what looked like SGC uniforms. His heart nearly stopped. _This better not be a hallucination!_ Daniel decided he was going to try and talk. He tried to open his trembling mouth but he couldn't. He tried to say something but instead he started to cough and choke out blood that was now present in his mouth. 

"Dr. Jackson, don't try to talk. I'm Colonel Bradford from SG-11. SG-1 is on their way. We are going to try and get you down from there as soon as we can so you have to keep holding on." 

The colonel took out his knife and began cutting through the wooden pole at the bottom but with not much progress. The wood was very thick and Bradford knew that at the rate he was going, it would take a good hour. He ordered one of his men to take over as he began to walk back to the gate in order to meet SG-1. 

SG-1 was approaching the large wall that looked even taller at night. Colonel Bradford was waiting for them next to the unguarded gate. "Where's Daniel?" Jack asked immediately without even giving Bradford a chance to breathe. 

"He's within the walls...but he needs serious medical attention...." Before he was even able to finish his sentence, Jack had already brushed past him and opened the gate that lead to the yard. The rest of SG-1 followed. When they entered the same look of horror and dread that SG-11 had were now on their faces. 

"Daniel's on one of these...?!?!" Jack was barely even able to finish the sentence without stuttering. "Where is he?" 

"Follow me sir". Bradford led them through a maze of wooden poles until they finally reached Daniel's. Their hearts almost stopped beating and Carter's legs began to shake as she looked up to see what was done to her comrade...her friend. Daniel's knuckles were completely white as they grasped for dear life on the pole. He was sweating and he looked exhausted. Dried bloodstains surrounded his mouth and blood was still dripping from his stomach. Tears began to form in her eyes and she knew she had to hold them back. She had to be strong and tackle the situation. 

"Daniel...we're going to get you down from there...can you hear me Daniel?" Jack's shaky voice called out. At the sound of Jack's voice, Daniel's head shot up. Once again, he tried to speak but instead, he just continued to cough up more blood. Carter looked down and saw the pool of blood that was collected over the hours. She approached Jack and whispered into his ear, "Sir, he's lost a lot of blood, we need to get him down now!" 

"We've been trying to cut through the wood but its pretty thick!" one of the SG-11 members stated. 

"Let me assist you" Teal'c said as he took out his own knife. As he worked, his huge masculine muscles flexed. Teal'c was much stronger than the average man. It only took a few seconds until they heard cracking from the wooden pole. "It will break any moment O'Neill" Teal'c said. 

"Listen to me Daniel. The pole is going to break any second. It may hurt a bit..crack ..when you fall. Alright, here we go Daniel." The wood cracked from under him as Daniel fell to the floor. He didn't even have the energy to scream. Instead, he squeezed his eyes shut and clenched his teeth together and moaned. The part of the pole that punctured his abdomen was still stuck in place.. 

"Daniel, we're going to pull the pole out. Its going to hurt like hell, but we have to do it!!! Daniel...can you hear me." Daniel started to nod his head faintly. Two men held his shoulders and chest down while Colonel O'Neill pinned his feet. Teal'c grabbed hold of the pointy stick and at the count of three, he pulled it out with one breath. Blood started bubbling out of the puncture. 

"Someone give me a jacket..NOW!!" Carter yelled. Teal'c quickly stripped of his SGC jacket and threw it to Carter. She immediately covered the bleeding but even the jacket was now getting moist. "Sir, we have to get him to a doctor as soon as possible." 

Jack carefully picked him up and cradled him in his arms supporting Daniel's head with his shoulder. Daniel continued to moan but it was obvious that he was weak and that he was going to lose consciousness. Jack began to run for the gate with all his adrenaline pumping. 

"Let's move!!" Everyone else followed Jack's lead and began to sprint. Jack could feel Daniel's severe shivering. He still didn't lose consciousness; he was fighting for his life. As Jack ran, Daniel weakly gripped at Jack's SGC jacket. All Jack could do was whisper hopeful thoughts. After running for half an hour straight, Jack was forced to give Daniel over to Teal'c. Daniel's moaning and coughing just caused their panic to get worse. Ten minutes later, they finally reached the stargate and went through. 

When they exited the ring, General Hammond didn't have to think twice before hitting the medical alarm bell. And before they even had a chance to get down the ramp, Dr. Frasier was already entering the embarkation room, ready with the stretcher and the medical team. It was only when Teal'c placed Daniel carefully on the stretcher, they realized that Daniel wasn't moving anymore. He was completely limp. Dr. Frasier tucked her finger gently under his throat only to draw it back quickly. "Commencing CPR". She jumped on the stretcher and straddled Daniel by the knees while doing compressions. Her medic team rolled the stretcher away towards the infirmary. Without hesitation, Jack, Sam and Teal'c followed after her. 

Once in the infirmary, Dr. Frasier switched to using electrical pads. Daniel's body was flung up in the air only to land back on the stretcher as lifeless as before. Jack stood there in shock as this horrible nightmare continued to unfold before him. He was completely paralyzed. After what seemed like one second but what was really five minutes, Dr. Frasier ordered her medic team to stop. The only sound that filled the room was the flatline that came from the machine. 

"I'm sorry." was all Frasier was able to mutter as she began to put away the pads. She didn't get far until she broke down crying. 

"NO!!!" Jack yelled as he ran towards the stretcher and began to do CPR ."No...you have to fight this Daniel!" Over and over again he continued to do the compressions. Nobody even dared to get in his way. 

_Beep....beep....beep._

Daniel's chest began to rise and fall again. Almost immediately, the medic team put an oxygen mask over his face as they began to check his pulse again. Dr. Frasier quickly got up, her eyes wide open with shock. Nobody could believe what just happened. Even Jack was totally frozen . 

"Wheel him out!" Dr. Frasier ordered as the shock began to finally seep in. She looked up at Jack, her eyes locked with his as if to say thank you and then she went off to follow the stretcher. 

Carter, Jack and Teal'c waited patiently but nervously outside the infirmary in the narrow hallway. No words were spoken. After waiting for an hour, Dr. Frasier came out of the small room. 

"How is he?" Sam asked. 

"Its very hard to say. He lost a lot of blood. We had to give him a major blood transfusion. He also went for a dangerously long amount of time without oxygen going to his brain. He could have serious brain damage. We won't know until his tests come back. Right now, he is in a coma. Try and talk to him. Make him feel comfortable. I'm going to report his situation to General Hammond. In the mean time, you are all welcome to visit him. He needs the support now, physically and mentally. He must have really fought a major mental battle back there." She put her hand on Jack's shoulder and continued to walk away. 

SG-1 entered the tiny room where Daniel was lying peacefully on the bed hooked up to numerous machines. IVs and tubes were coming out of everywhere and the oxygen mask was still covering his mouth and nose. His lips were blue and his face looked almost ghostly. He had a dark bruise on his neck and it was obvious that the puncture from his stomach was heavily wrapped in gauze. Carter was the first to take his hand and softly caress it. "Daniel, if you can hear me, we need you to come back to us. We need you on the team. Shau're needs you...I..we..." she couldn't hold the tears that were now forcing their way down her cheek. "Daniel, we've...you've come too far." she continued as she moved a few strands of hair away from his eyes. 

"I should have gone back for him when he fell." Jack simply stated coldly. 

"Sir, you know that would have been suicide. You would be in the exact situation as he is now." Carter pointed out. 

"Yah, well at least I wouldn't be standing around helplessly like I'm doing now. Damnit! It should have been me!" he said as he glanced for a split second in Daniel's direction but just as quickly turned away in shame. 

"Sir don't say tha..." but Carter's words were interrupted by Jack's outburst. 

"I can say what ever the hell I want to Captain. He's too young to die dammit!!!" and with that, he charged out of the room throwing the chair out of his way, causing it to fall over and slamming the door roughly on his way out. 

* * *

Daniel never felt like this before. He could hear everything but he had no control over his body. He couldn't even open his eyes or his mouth in order to talk. He could feel Carter's smooth touch on his hand yet he couldn't show her that he was feeling it. _I must be in a coma. Well, at least the pain mellowed down. Thank G-d for that._ But as much as he tried to convince himself that he was going to be fine, he was still scared. The unknown was too scary for him to think about. Daniel's thoughts shifted as he heard the muffled voices of Sam and Jack talking to each other. He couldn't make out what they were saying but he recognized their voices. Their voices sounded distant as if he was listening to them from under water. It reminded him of the game he used to play a long time ago with his mother when he was just a kid. He used to hold his breath and go under water and he would have to guess what she was saying from above the surface. A wave of warmth swept through his body at the warm memory. He could hear Jack's voice getting louder and louder till it was easily distinguishable as yelling and then, within seconds, he heard a loud bang and then silence. _Jack better not be blaming himself. It's not his fault._ Suddenly a wave of exhaustion took over him and he decided to let himself be taken away into a world of dreams. 

* * *

Two days went by and Jack was finding it hard to sleep. He took a short leave of absence but decided to spend his free time on the base in case of any good news about Daniel's condition. At this time, everyone was sound asleep. He looked at his watch. 3:30 a.m. Jack sighed. He felt guilty for not visiting Daniel enough but every time he thought about seeing him, guilt hit him like a dagger. But now was the perfect time since nobody else was up except the night guards and he would finally be able to be with Daniel alone. He put on his caacies and a black T-shirt and made his way towards the infirmary. He entered the room and saw Daniel in the same position as always. He didn't even move a finger. Jack took a seat next to the bed and stared at the young man. "Come on Danny! You can get through this. You're strong. Dammit, I'm so sorry Daniel." Tears began to form in his eyes but he let them run down his cheeks. "Daniel, if you can hear me, squeeze my hand. Just squeeze my hand Daniel. Please!" Jack said as he grabbed Daniel's cold hand. No response. "Just squeeze my hand dammit." Jack whispered without even an ounce of anger. He buried his head in Daniel's sheets as he let himself cry to sleep. 

* * *

Jack's eyes slowly fluttered open as he woke up feeling some pressure. His heart almost stopped as he thought he felt Daniel's hand squeezing his very gently. 

"Oh my G-d!" Jack jumped to his feet and stared at the young man lying in the bed. His face and body were still motionless. _Was I dreaming? No, I definitely felt a squeeze._ "Daniel, if you can hear me... do it again. I...no it wasn't my imagination." Jack waited but felt nothing. As he realized he must have been dreaming, he discouragingly began to sit down again. But before he was able to sit, he felt it again. He felt Daniel's hand try to squeeze his own. "Yes Daniel! That's it. You did it! You have to wait here while I get the Doc!" Jack sprinted out of the room his heart racing. He knocked wildly on Dr. Frasier's door until she finally opened it. "What is it colonel? It's 4:00 a.m!" she managed to say but her words were still slurred from her sleep. "He's back! He squeezed my hand!" Jack said as if he was a little boy who had just discovered something new. 

"Now hold it colonel. Some comatose patients' muscles sometimes tend to contract on their own. It doesn't necessarily mean that Daniel's conscious!" Janet Frasier began to explain as she grabbed her bathrobe and started to walk towards the infirmary. 

"No, he's conscious. I asked him to squeeze my hand and he did! Now I don't think that's coincidence!" 

"Well, let me take a look." Dr. Frasier walked into Daniel's room and immediately took his hand. "Daniel, this is Dr. Frasier. Can you squeeze my hand for me?" She waited a few seconds. 

"Come on Daniel" Jack whispered. 

"I felt it!" Janet almost yelled with excitement. She took a tiny flashlight that was on one of the lab tables and shined it in one of his eyes as she used her finger to lift his eyelid. Daniel's eye tried to blink from the light and his pupil began to move around. She turned to Jack as a large smile crossed her face. "Go get the others." 

Jack quickly ran out and within a few minutes, he returned with Carter and Teal'c who both looked exhausted and confused. 

"Daniel, listen to me. I have to pull out the tube that is down your throat so that you can breathe on your own. Do you understand?" Dr. Frasier asked. Daniel weakly nodded his eyes still closed with exhaustion. "Good. I need you to blow out really hard when I say go. 1..2..3...GO!" Janet pulled out the tube with ease while Daniel began to cough violently. 

"Take it easy Daniel. Try and breathe on your own slowly. That's it." Daniel was finally able to lie back down on the bed and began to breathe more normally. His beautiful light blue eyes looked around the room. All he saw were the smiling faces of his dear friends. Even though he was not quite able to smile, his eyes smiled for him. But what really shocked him was the fact that tears were now rolling down Jack's eyes. Immediately, Jack got up in discomfort and looked away from all the others but managed to say quietly enough for Daniel to hear, "You know, we almost lost you back there!...I think it's time to get you some track lessons Daniel." Daniel tried to laugh but his throat still hurt him from the bad hit he took from the giant. Daniel just looked up at Jack and let the tears run down as he mouthed the words 'thank you'. 

"You go back to sleep Daniel...and we'll all be right here when you wake up." Jack said. He walked over to Daniel, bent down and kissed him gently on the forehead. 

Everyone stared in shock at the sudden love and affection that they have never seen from Jack before. Sam smiled and did the same. And as Daniel closed his eyes in exhaustion, his friends closed the lights and very quietly closed the door so as not to wake him from his healing sleep.   


* * *

>   
> © July 26, 1999  
> The characters mentioned in this story are the property of Showtime and Gekko Film Corp.  
> The Stargate, SG-I, the Goa'uld and all other characters  
> who have appeared in the series STARGATE SG-1 together with the names,   
> titles and backstory are the sole copyright property of MGM-UA Worldwide Television,   
> Gekko Film Corp, Glassner/Wright Double Secret Productions and Stargate SG-I Prod. Ltd.   
> Partnership.  
> This fanfic is not intended as an infringement upon those rights and   
> solely meant for entertainment.   
> All other characters, the story idea and the story itself   
> are the sole property of the author.   
> 

* * *

  


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